This invention relates to electrical connector assemblies of the type comprising a connector plug and a complementary connector receptacle. The invention is particularly directed to the achievement of an improved connector assembly which permits usage of the plug for at least two types of disengageable electrical connections.
Manufacturers of electrical and electronic equipment frequently require several different types of multi-contact electrical connectors in order to satisfy different types of connecting requirements. For example, a manufacturer of television sets may require multi-contact electrical connectors which must be mounted in a panel such as a chassis panel, connectors which can be mated with contact posts extending from a circuit board, and connectors which can be mated and latched to a complementary connector so that the two connectors of the assembly cannot be readily disengaged from each other. These diverse requirements frequently lead to the necessity of using many different types of connectors in the manufacturing process with the attendant inconveniences and expenses involved in obtaining, and maintaining an inventory of, the different types of connectors required. It is always desirable, therefore, to use electrical connectors which are capable of carrying out several connecting functions; in other words, connectors which are capable of serving more than one purpose and satisfying more than one requirement in the manufacturing process.
Application Ser. No. 859,067, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,159,158 discloses and claims an improved multi-contact electrical connector which is particularly intended to be mated with contact terminal posts which extend from a circuit board and application Ser. No. 879,575 discloses and claims a back cover having optionally usable panel mounting means for the connector disclosed in the former application. The instant invention is directed to the achievement of a connector of the general class disclosed in application Ser. No. 859,067 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,159,158 which is capable of multiple uses including mating with terminal posts and mating with a complementary connector.
In accordance with the principles of the present invention, a connector assembly comprises a connector receptacle and a connector plug, the receptacle having a hood extending from its mating face which surrounds a portion of the connector plug when the two parts are mated. The receptacle and the plug are disengageably latched to each other by a latching means which is integral with the housing portion of the receptacle and which has latch arm means which extends through an opening in the hood. This latch arm means engages shoulder means on the connector plug when the parts are mated and prevents their being unmated without a deliberate flexing or other manipulation of the latch arm means. The plug is provided with camming ramps adjacent to its mating face which cooperate with the latch arm means of a terminal header when the connector plug is mated with the posts of the header. The camming ramps serve to prevent unintentional removal or disengagement of the plug from the terminal posts and, in addition, they serve to prevent the latching shoulders of the plug from engaging the latching arm of the header.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide an improved electrical connector assembly. A further object is to provide an improved connector plug capable of multiple uses. A further object is to provide a plug which can be mated with either a complementary receptacle or with terminal posts extending from a post header mounted on a circuit board. A further object is to achieve a reduction in the number of types of electrical connectors required to satisfy several different electrical connection requirements in a typical manufacturing process.